


Wine Tasting

by yerbamansa



Category: Schitt's Creek, The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Eleanor Shellstrop, But did it anyway, Crossover Pairings, David finally has something to lord over Stevie, F/F, First Same Sex Experience, Fondling, Kissing, Mutual Masturbation, Self-Discovery, Uncomfortable writing smut, Working Out My Feelings Through Fic, you're welcome/i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-19 23:47:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16544669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yerbamansa/pseuds/yerbamansa
Summary: Eleanor Shellstrop is on a mission to steer people toward salvation. For Stevie Budd, that means a little journey of self-discovery.





	Wine Tasting

**Author's Note:**

> Good Place fans, if you have never seen Schitt's Creek, (a) remedy that; it's on Netflix (b) this is probably a LOT more Schitt's Creek than Good Place, so fair warning.
> 
> Over the summer, I wrote my first ever fics at theschittplace.tumblr.com in which post-S2 Good Place humans found themselves in post-S4 Schitt's Creek, and how might those characters interact. Some of the headcanon for this story is there, but that was just silly little stories. 
> 
> In terms of spoilers, we're mid-S3 Good Place and still post-S4 Schitt's Creek. TGP moves so fast, I just had to pick a point, and the idea that Eleanor had a mission makes this story more plausible in my head.
> 
> Finally, I should admit that I am *definitely* working out some personal shit through fictional characters, so whether or not this does it for anyone else, I don't know. *shrug*

After running out of family and friends to nudge toward salvation, Michael and Janet started pulling out random missions for the Soul Squad to take on. Without the benefit of a personal connection to help the humans ingratiate themselves, they knew they’d need to start small and play on their strengths. To inspire them, Janet found several dozen BuzzFeed-style lists of “good deed ideas.” The results were… mixed.

One mission sent Chidi to a nature park to help an underappreciated docent find new zeal for his great habitat restoration work. Tahani served as a party-planner for a family in crisis, creating the perfect event to bring them together and leaving without submitting an invoice. Jason… so Jason was not great with missions, but there was no Soul Squad without Jason. Janet insisted.

It may have appeared that the ex-demon and repository of all knowledge in the universe were running out of ideas when they dispatched Eleanor and Chidi on a road trip through Canada. They had a number of stops to make, little pokes and prods.

Eleanor was reading the brief for their next mission when Chidi turned off the two-lane highway into Schitt’s Creek. “Soooo, it says here I get to help some chick named Stevie be more ‘honest’ with herself. Huh. I wonder what that means?”

“That is a _very_ vague-sounding mission. Should we call Michael?”

“Mmmm, nah, let’s feel this out first.”

Chidi pulled into the gravel driveway of a dingy motel. “Rosebud Motel… that’s where we’re supposed to find her!” Eleanor said.

They checked in and set out to explore the town and get to know some folks. This mission would definitely require careful reconnaissance.

* * *

It’d been a while since Stevie made a new friend. Sure, there’s David, and his whole fucking orbit, which blessedly included Patrick; they’d become family, in a weird way. But it wasn’t quite the same as a _friend_ friend. Stevie always had acquaintances and loose friendships with the townies she couldn’t find a reason to hate—not a huge number, really—and was never the kind of person with a strong circle of friends. There were no late night phone calls to talk about guys. And that was usually okay.

Then that hot Arizona trashbag showed up and something shifted.

Eleanor was, in many ways, very unlikable. That’s what Stevie liked about her. She was brash and unfriendly and a sloppy drunk. But she’s also funny when she says the quiet parts out loud, which was all the time. There was something intriguing about her that Stevie couldn’t quite place, but she wanted to spend time with her.

I mean, she couldn’t _tell_ her that. She couldn’t tell _anyone_ that.

Eleanor was staying at the motel with some anxious, bookish fellow who didn’t seem to have a damn thing in common with her. In the time Stevie had spent with Eleanor, she never got a straight answer about what they were doing together. She got the impression that was by design.

Maybe she’d try to get it out of her next time Eleanor showed up in the office to shoot the breeze.

Her opportunity arrived in short order, because after a particularly long day of checking in three guests, checking out four, cleaning six rooms, having a short business meeting with Mr. Rose, and a gloriously quiet couple of hours parked at the desk with just her Tamagochi to keep her company, Eleanor showed up wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket and sauntered up to the desk with a determined look.

 _Shades of fuckin’ David Rose_ , she thought. _B_ _e_ _t I’ll never have to help her catch_ _a bug with a milky exoskeleton. Or drag her to a spa and pretend to be married to help her cope with a relationship crisis._

_Oh. That might not be the worst, though._

“Can I help you?” Stevie asked, trying to maintain her usual level of remove.

“Listen, I don’t normally do this… but are you doing anything tonight?”

“Umm…” Stevie considered this. David was with Patrick, of course. Jake hadn’t called. It was just a Thursday; no townie parties. “Nope. No plans. Unless you count drinking and falling asleep with a book on my face.”

Eleanor smirked when she said “book.” “Nothing with, um, what’s his name?”

“David?”

“Sure.”

“You know he has a boyfriend, right?”

Eleanor furrowed her brow in mock exasperation. “Yeah. That’s not what I meant.” She tapped her fingers on the desk. “I’m trying… something different, lately? So I thought I’d see if you wanted to hang out, or whatever. No big deal.” No reason to let Stevie in on the gaping emotional maw that was the real Eleanor Shellstrop. Just drinks with a friend; that’s normal, right? No suspicions aroused.

_Heh heh, aroused._

Stevie swallowed hard. Casually as she could, she looked around and replied, “Mmm… sure.”

“Great. What time do you get off?” _Don’t try to high-five her and say “ha ha, ‘get off,’” Eleanor._

“I can meet you in, like, an hour?”

“Cool. I’ll be back then.”

“’K.”

And with that, Eleanor left Stevie’s office.

* * *

“So your plan is… to seduce her. I still don’t understand how that helps… anything,” Chidi counseled.

“No, dude, I’m not gonna have to _seduce_ her. I am just trying to help her better understand herself, because I am, like, 97% sure she’s bi and needs to admit it to herself. And if I get to make out with a snarky Canadian hottie, all the better for me. I gots to get some joy while I can,” Eleanor finished, reminding Chidi they’re both bound for hell. As if either of them could forget it.

“Surely Michael and Janet could have helped us find a more worthy target for our salvation efforts.”

“ _You’re_ the one who went on a nihilism rant that got you fired. Why does everything I do have to be super meaningful all of a sudden?”

* * *

Stevie’s mind raced as she counted down the hour. After 15 minutes, she texted David.

> meeting eleanor 2nite what r u 2 up to?

The dots that indicated typing on the other end seemed to loop forever.

> wouldnt you like to know
> 
> wait
> 
> eleanor?

Stevie had no idea how to respond. She wanted… advice? Gentle teasing? Talking down? Him to assume she meant it as an invitation to join them?

> like a date??? but I thought you only liked (Wine Glass )

> i dont know

She didn’t want to think about David’s glee-ridden face assessing her situation. It did nothing to help her anxiety. But, well, what are best friends for.

> patrick says good luck
> 
> im sure he does

When Eleanor walked back into the motel office, she could tell Stevie was a little nervous. _That’s good_ , she thought. _This might work._

“Sooo… drinks?”

“Drinks.” Stevie grabbed her purse and met Eleanor by the door. _Damn, she smells nice._

Stevie drove them to the bar. _Can’t get too drunk and make a weird, embarrassing move if you’re driving, right? Gotta be responsible. And shut down that weird thought._

The bar was quiet, which suits both of them just fine. Stevie ordered a beer; Eleanor a vodka tonic. They sat quietly with their drinks for a few minutes.

“So, Stevie. What’s your story? What’s your whole deal?” It was awkwardly open-ended.

Stevie almost choked on her beer, but hid it well. “Whole deal? Ummm… born and raised in this shithole; inherited the motel; that’s about it.”

“Wait, you _own_ the motel? Why did I think it was the guy in the suit?”

“Mr. Rose? Oh. He’s just my business partner. He used to run a video rental chain, Rose Video?”

“Never heard of it.”

They went back to sipping their drinks in silence.

The background music changed to a new song. Eleanor made a face of recognition and exclaimed, “Oh, I love this song!”

Stevie didn’t recognize it. (Maybe Eleanor didn’t, either.) But she dutifully listened for a few bars and nodded. “Yeah, it’s great!”

“C’mon.” Eleanor took Stevie’s hand and led her to an open space in the bar and started dancing. It took Stevie a few beats to catch up.

“I’m not sure I’ve had enough to drink yet for this.”

“Pfffft. We’re just dancing.”

Stevie shrugged, took a swig, and joined Eleanor. Eleanor smiled brightly, and Stevie blushed.

 _Admit it. You like this._ Stevie met Eleanor’s gaze and stepped closer, which just made Eleanor smile even more. Stevie was consumed with the hope that Eleanor might take another step closer, so when the chorus arrived and Eleanor casually draped her arms on Stevie’s shoulders, her heart almost beat out of her chest.

Eleanor was equally pleased. _It’s fucking working!_ she practically cheered. It took all her self-control not to pause for a fist-pump. Instead, she looked down, pulled Stevie closer, and gazed softly in her eyes.

But the song was over soon after that, and the next one was jarringly loud. They broke their gaze, returned to the bar, and spent a few more moments quietly sipping their drinks.

“Ssoooo… I feel like I need to say this,” Stevie started.

“This isn’t what you were expecting.” Eleanor flirtatiously caught her eyes.

“I...” Stevie looked down. _I ONLY drink red wine, but I’ve heard good things about some whites_. She took a breath and continued. “Historically, no, this is not what I would have expected from drinks with a friend.”

Eleanor pursed her lips, intrigued. “I feel like there’s a ‘but.’”

Stevie kept her eyes down, but moved her hand to touch Eleanor’s. She cringed and looked up slowly. Eleanor’s eyes were practically glittering. _Ohhhh ffffuck._ “Erm… Excuse me, I need to use the facilities,” Stevie said, making a hasty exit.

 _The fuck am I gonna do now?_ Stevie looked at herself in the scummy bathroom mirror. _Do I_ want _this? Because she sure as shit does._ No choice now. Gotta text David again.

> this was def a date
> 
> fuck

The dots appeared, then disappeared, then reappeared, then disappeared, then reappeared again over a full fucking minute. That asshole was for sure laughing at her.

> well i mean
> 
> why not TRY the white
> 
> patrick says go for it

> tell patrick thx 4 ur support
> 
> tell urself fuck off

> (Wine Glass ) (Two Women Holding Hands ) (Wine Glass )

> srsly
> 
> fuck u

> best wishes (Person With Folded Hands ≊ Folded Hands)
> 
> breakfast tomorrow?

* * *

Eleanor had settled the bill by the time Stevie walked out. It was uncharacteristically generous of her, but she’d come this far.

“Look, I’m sorry if that was too much for you. If you just want to take me back to the motel, that’s ok--” Eleanor was interrupted by Stevie’s lips on hers, cool and confident.

“Or I could take you back to the motel and show you my favorite room.” _WHERE. THE FUCK. DID THAT COME FROM, STEVIE??! (Fuck you, David.)_

“Well, all right, Stevie!” Eleanor looked surprised and charmed as hell. “High five!”

Stevie gave Eleanor a long, hard look. “Not doing that.”

Eleanor shrugged and followed Stevie out to her car.

 

Fucking _David_ was sitting on one of the patio chairs when they pulled up to the motel. When he saw Stevie’s car, he curled his lips into a conceited smile Stevie knew all too well. He’d been waiting for this.

“That dick.”

“I take it you’ve told him about our… situation, then?” _Pleased_. So pleased. Stevie was starting to hate it.

Stevie gently banged her head on the steering wheel before getting out of the car. “David. Where’s Patrick?”

“Oh, we have some early deliveries at the store, so he wanted to go home and get some sleep.”

“And you just _had_ to be home for this?”

“Mmmhmmm. Hi, Eleanor.”

“’Sup, buddy.”

“Yeah.”

“Go away, David.”

“What time do you think you’re going to want to go to breakfast?”

“How about 10 past never?”

David snickered and shot both of them a look. “I’ll see _you_ in the morning.” He turned and walked into his room, giving one last grin before shutting the door. “Pleasant dreams.”

“Dude, you have got to chill.” Eleanor draped an arm over Stevie’s shoulders. It felt reassuring.

“Sorry, sorry. Um. Let me grab the keys.”

“The keys to your _favorite room_.” Eleanor was grinning again. _Why did she SAY that._

“Come on.” Stevie pulled Eleanor into the office, practically running behind the desk.

 

Eleanor didn’t know what to expect when Stevie offered to show her her “favorite room” in the motel, but it wasn’t red satin bedding and a heart-shaped headboard. “Huh.”

“There’s a ceiling mirror, too.”

“Oh. Well. It’s very nice. I can see why you love it so much.”

“Yeah, this joke that was funnier in my head...” Stevie didn’t have time to wallow in self-doubt, because Eleanor ran a hand through her hair— _god that tingles—_ and pulled her into a kiss.

Stevie leaned into the kiss and slipped a hand under Eleanor’s shirt. That elicited a positive reaction, so she continued, running a fingernail up her spine, then flipping her hand to brush four fingers back down the spine in a gentle scratch.

Eleanor was making a goddamn mess of Stevie’s hair, twirling her fingers across her scalp. Stevie didn’t want her to stop. She planted soft kisses on Stevie across her jawline to her earlobe, then down her neck to her clavicle.

“Fffffffuck.” _Shit, that was out loud_.

Eleanor looked up long enough to flash her half a smile. Her hand moved from Stevie’s scalp to her back. “What if we...” she nodded toward the bed.

Stevie froze. “I don’t know if I’m ready for...”

“Babe. No. I’m not going to try anything you don’t want. We can talk this through.”

Stevie hadn’t had to talk anything through in… maybe ever. Not that she wasn’t accustomed to some sort of negotiation around sex—what do you like, all that fun stuff—but the options started out pretty straightforward. _Stevie Budd, Most Likely to Get the Guy_. Had done. Check.

Somehow that became part of her identity, by default. She’d only been with guys because she was only into guys. It was easy enough to believe that. But so far there had been no real challenge to this mindset. It might take a minute for her head to catch up to her heart.

Eleanor kissed her sweetly. “How about this: we can get more comfortable and I will go slow.” She took a step toward the bed and drew a line on Stevie’s chest, stopping just above the sternum.

 _Yes. Yes. I would like that, yes_. Stevie nodded in vigorous assent and threw herself on the bed. Those shiny satin-y sheets felt just as cool but sticky as she’d remembered: not that sexy. But, hell, it didn’t matter now. Eleanor’s initial aloofness had given way to unanticipated openness and generosity, which were not qualities Stevie was used to in her partners.

Eleanor eased herself onto the bed, lying on her side with her head propped up by a palm. She’d managed to unbutton her top halfway down, revealing a practical-but-still-sexy bra. It gave Stevie flashes of, strangely enough, Jeff Goldblum shirtless in _Jurassic Park_. She had a feeling Eleanor would be charmed by the comparison.

“OK, Hot Stuff. First things first. May I take off your shirt?” Stevie nodded and let Eleanor help her pull her t-shirt over her head. She tossed it across the room.

Stevie didn’t have time to feel self-conscious about her utilitarian foundation garments, because Eleanor continued: “Beautiful. _Bellissima_. Now, may I...” she caressed the air in the shape of Stevie’s breasts. The air felt charged, like some kind of reiki massage.

“ _Yes._ ”

Eleanor touched her for real this time. In all the times someone had fondled her tits, it never felt like this. Like she knew that if she wanted, if she could bring herself to ask, she could return the favor.

“How about taking this off altogether?” Eleanor asked, her eyes drifting from Stevie’s face to her chest. Stevie turned onto her side to reach the clasps, and with one expert hand movement, she was free. Eleanor helped her slip off the straps and _fwap_ , another item thrown across the room. But they were focused on the task at hand. Eleanor was tracing fingers around the edges of Stevie’s areolas, one at a time, and Stevie was just watching Eleanor go.

To say she was turned on by this point would be an understatement. Stevie grasped Eleanor’s cheek and kissed her.

“You like that, huh? OK, how about...” Eleanor walked her fingers toward Stevie’s navel. Stevie worried she might be getting ahead of herself, but did what felt right and moved to unbutton her jeans. The intent was clear and Eleanor obliged.

“I just want to touch you and you need to let me know how that goes for you.” Stevie nodded. She started to wonder if she should be reciprocating, but quickly submitted to the thrill of the moment.

Just being touched like this felt so good, surprisingly so. It was intimate; familiar, but flush with exhilarating newness.

“Actually… you could show me first. Show me what you like.”

Stevie had a flash of shyness. “Um… I don’t have… Like, I didn’t plan on _this_ , so I didn’t pack any… you know. Tools.”

“You never use just your fingers?”

Stevie took a breath and smirked slightly. “Maybe when the battery is dead, sure. But usually it’s just more _efficient_.”

“Oh, sure, efficiency is key,” Eleanor teased. “Just take it slow, show me what feels good, and when you’re ready...”

Stevie smiled and nodded. She unzipped her jeans and let Eleanor help her remove them and pull down her undies. She thought it would feel more awkward than it did when she reached down and could tell she was just as physically aroused as she was mentally. _Good. That helps_. _Unless she brought lube._

Eleanor quietly watched and held Stevie as she slowly rubbed small circles around her upper labia, a roundabout way of putting pressure on the clit. She took her time to get a rhythm going. Her whole body started to sweat ever so slightly, which Eleanor noticed. Stevie closed her eyes and kept going.

“C-could you maybe...” Stevie thought about how to phrase this request without losing momentum. “Touch me _here_?” She took Eleanor’s hand in her free hand and placed it clumsily below her own, barely grazing the skin around her vagina.

Eleanor used a finger to explore where Stevie placed it, then two; she went slow and looked to Stevie for feedback. A light touch on the outer labia, cool compared to the warmth of her moistened fingers and gentle tugging on stray pubic hairs: intriguing. Coming up underneath Stevie’s busy hand: awkward. Gently rounding the opening of the vagina: Stevie’s lips pursed.

“I could go further.”

“ _Yes, please do that._ ”

Eleanor kept her nails short and well-groomed for just such occasions. She slipped two fingers in, shallow at first, but going deeper. She hooked her fingers and probed until she could tell from Stevie’s reaction she’d found the right spot. Stevie’s face was flush and her eyes closed as though she were concentrating.

“Would it be all right if I took over?” Eleanor placed a free hand on Stevie’s busy wrist.

Stevie slowed for a moment to consider. She was feeling _really_ good, but wasn’t so close that the interruption would be unwelcome. “Sure.”

Eleanor reached over to get a bottle of lube out of her purse, squeezed out a dime-sized dollop, and rubbed it between her fingers to warm it up a little before moving to replace Stevie’s hand. Now Eleanor was sitting upright around Stevie’s waist, fully concentrating on Stevie. Stevie’s now-useless arms flopped idly across her bare chest, while Eleanor’s efforts quickly caused her muscles to tense with pleasure. Her toes curled, knees locked, lower back arched: _Success_. Eleanor turned to watch Stevie’s face.

“I’m _definitely_ going to come.” Stevie reached a hand down to paw at Eleanor. Eleanor grinned and kept at it.

It’s not like Stevie had never experienced an orgasm. She’d had plenty. But it would be unfair to say that this one didn’t feel different. When she was in control, she knew the beats exactly. With a guy, there was usually a focus on _his_ orgasm; even with the most giving partner, it could feel a bit transactional. Not that it wasn’t plenty of fun.

But this was some weird, charming, smirking blonde who was just… doing this _with_ her. And despite her reservations, despite the part of her head muttering _buuuut you’re not into girls_ , she wanted to keep exploring this kind of intimacy. It was exciting and forced her to get out of her own head.

Speaking of which, every goddamn pleasure center in Stevie’s brain was lighting up just then. She couldn’t help but moan a little, which made Eleanor look so...fucking...goddamn. Proud? Satisfied. She was sweating through those shitty satin sheets and it was gonna be gross in a minute but for now, who cares. The waves of bliss were slowing down and Stevie motioned to Eleanor to ease off.

“Fuck.”

“Right?”

“Would you come here?”

Eleanor smiled deviously and in one swift move, she straddled Stevie and leaned in to kiss her. Her loose hair brushed Stevie’s forehead.

“I’m gonna need a minute. But. Can I return the favor?”

 _Hot diggity dog!_ “I’d like that.”

Stevie wanted to sit there with Eleanor angled over her, faces just inches apart, but the sweaty sheet was starting to feel cold and damp. Stevie sighed. “Cool. Um, I gotta get up.”

Eleanor got up and let Stevie go. Stevie looked around fruitlessly for her shirt, but they’d flung it out of reach. _Fuck it._

“I was gonna use the bathroom, but I think I’ll just enjoy the view for a minute.” Eleanor was a fucking lech and Stevie liked it.

Stevie checked the closet for extra linens and found a spare sheet. Cotton-poly blend. Clearly stained. _Really need to talk to Mr. Rose about where “decent bedding” falls into our rebranding efforts._ She draped it around her body and shuffled back to the bed to wait for Eleanor.

Eleanor, who knew her strengths, stepped out of the bathroom having removed everything but her underwear. Decently nice underwear, Stevie thought; she’d never appreciated them quite like this. Wearing lingerie was about making _herself_ feel good for a partner. She hadn’t experienced the joy of someone else feeling _themselves_ in such things. And Stevie was feeling Eleanor feeling herself. Hard.

“Where do you want to start?”

 _Everywhere. Anywhere._ “Just get over here.”

Stevie took a breath. She might lose her nerve if she doesn’t figure out what to do first. She’s feeling uncharacteristically unassertive beyond knowing she is _into this_ , generally speaking. And she didn’t want to appear bumbling. Might as well just own up to this. _Be confident in your lack of confidence! Shit, that sounds like something from a really bad self-help book._ She shrugged off the sheet and welcomed Eleanor into a cuddle. Stevie rested her chin on Eleanor’s shoulder and breathed in deep.

“I have to confess something. I don’t know what to do,” Stevie whispered.

Eleanor kissed her and led Stevie’s hand to her panties. _Oh, so diving right in._ “Take your time, Hot Stuff,” she said playfully.

“Ahhh.”

“You may want a little of this.” Eleanor handed her the lube.

Stevie took the tube, but didn’t use it at first. She was curious to simply feel another woman. She stroked Eleanor’s inner thighs and over her underwear and across her hips. It was familiar but different—they didn’t have the same grooming regimen—and she wondered if it felt as good to Eleanor to simply have someone touch her all over. She slipped her hand under the fabric and continued to probe.

Eleanor wanted to be patient with Stevie—didn’t want to make her any more self-conscious than she probably already felt—but it was a little bit like being petted by someone who was shy around animals. _C’mon, c’mon._

“Where does it feel good?” Stevie finally asked, getting out some lube. She took a moment to rub it between her fingers, warming it up. If she’d asked Eleanor, she might’ve been surprised to know that the initial cool sensation was kind of appealing to her, but Stevie’s consideration was appreciated all the same.

Stevie slid three lubed-up fingers between Eleanor’s labia and made slow, firm circles. Eleanor’s breath was hot and slightly ragged on her neck, so she used her free hand to drag the panties off and placed two fingers around Eleanor’s vagina. This elicited a slight groan, so she went in a little more, and Eleanor nibbled on her neck. Fingers all the way in: she bit her earlobe. _MotherFUCK._ This effort required concentration and the nibbling did not help. But also? _It did._

“Go a little faster,” Eleanor whispered, and Stevie complied. There was enough moisture between the lube and Eleanor’s own fluids that it was almost slippery, but she maintained control. As often as she’d been the architect of her own orgasms, making one with familiar anatomy that wasn’t her own was a curious sensation. She saw Eleanor grasp the sheets around her hands and tense her body before letting out a yelp sound that startled Stevie.

“Whoa.”

“Hhhhhyeah.”

Eleanor traced Stevie’s hands and let her head rest on her shoulder a moment, then looked at the alarm clock. Still early. “Ooohhh. _Grey’s Anatomy_ is on. Hey, are you hungry?”

 _OK, just like that, then…_ “Yeah, um, I’ll order a pizza.” Eleanor nodded, so Stevie made the call while collecting some of her clothes from around the room. Eleanor was already watching TV. “Straight hotties all the way around,” she muttered.

Stevie gave her a side-eyed glance and smirked, but Eleanor wasn’t looking. _Just did...that...with her. What the fuck…_ She grabbed the motel’s robes from the closet and put one on, then brought the other to Eleanor.

They cuddled up in bed, waiting for pizza, watching TV.

Stevie slept well—Eleanor was a surprisingly sound sleeper who didn’t snore—but woke up early with Thoughts. She woke Eleanor gently to let her know she was stepping out, but she’d be back to pick her up for breakfast.

“I would kiss you but I’m pretty sure you’d never want to speak to me again if you had to taste my morning breath,” Eleanor mumbled, eyes still closed, face smashed into a satin-covered pillow.

Stevie doubted it.

First stop was home for a shower, toothbrush, and change of clothes. Then she went back to the motel, but settled in at the front desk with a cup of terrible coffee. It was too early to clean rooms or expect any guests, though Ivan would stop by with that morning’s delivery of cinnamon buns. She pulled out her book and pretended to read it for what felt like ages when Mr. Rose showed up.

“Oh, good morning, Stevie. Early bird gets the worm?”

“Hi, Mr. Rose. Something like that.”

“I hope you didn’t get up to too much trouble last night. I think I overheard David say something...”

“Please, Mr. Rose, never listen to David if he’s talking about me.”

“Sure, Stevie. Sure.” He settled down, somewhat uncomfortably, on the lobby’s sofa with a morning paper.

Soon after, David dropped in, his eyes shining and lips in full twisted smirk when he saw Stevie was there. He so rarely had anything to lord over Stevie, and he was milking the hell out of it, but he stopped when he heard his father say good morning. “Uh, hi. Good morning. So, cafe…?”

“In a bit. What time are you meeting Patrick?” Stevie regretted this immediately, and added: “So I know when _not_ to go.”

“Right, sure.” David didn’t have time for repartee, because that’s when Eleanor appeared at the door and Stevie turned bright red. “Oh, _hi_ , Eleanor!”

Eleanor nodded hello. “Got any cinnamon rolls yet? Hey, Stevie.”

Mr. Rose watched this interaction with eyebrows aloft. Something was definitely up, but he didn’t want to intrude.

“So, Eleanor, are you coming to breakfast with us?” David asked, utterly failing to mask his glee over how much this was bothering Stevie.

Eleanor smiled at Stevie. “Whaddya say, Hot Stuff?”

Mr. Rose could not be looking at them any harder, but he remained quiet. David rubbed his hands on his face and grinned at Stevie, mouthing, “’Hot Stuff’!”

 _Fuck you, David._ Stevie sighed loudly. “Fine. Sure.”

“Well, I’m heading over there now to meet Patrick. I guess we’ll see you two in a bit? Unless you want to give me a ride.”

“I think you need the walk, David.”

“Fine.” And he was off.

“I better go get cleaned up, too.” Eleanor leaned over the desk to give Stevie a kiss on the cheek. “Come by my room when you’re ready to go?”

Mr. Rose and Stevie sat in silence for several seconds before Mr. Rose looked like he was about to speak. “Don’t say a word, Mr. Rose.” _I’m not talking about this with you. Today, or ever. Probably. It was bad enough when I was sleeping with your son._

Mr. Rose thought of Stevie like one of his own kids, so it took a hell of a lot of self-restraint not to offer some supportive words. He nodded. “It’s OK, Stevie. We’re all good here. You have a good time.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back in a bit.” She paused. “Don’t clean, uh, room 8. I’ll take care of it.”

Stevie slipped out the door and walked over to Eleanor’s room. Before she could knock, Chidi opened the door. “Oh, hey, Stevie. Eleanor will be out in a sec. Any chance there’s cinnamon buns in the lobby yet?”

“Yeah, I think Mr. Rose is setting them out now.”

“Cool. Um, you guys have a good time last night?”

Stevie looked at Chidi. She’d hardly interacted with the man, but he seemed nice enough. Whatever their thing was, it wasn’t threatening. “Oh. Uh. Yeah. Hope you didn’t mind a night alone.”

“I don’t believe it’s ethical to lie, so: no, I did _not_ mind. At all.”

Stevie regarded him with skepticism. “OK. Cool. Enjoy your cinnamon buns.”

As Chidi walked away, Eleanor appeared. “Hey, babe. Ready to go? I’m jonesing for some waffles.”

A lightbulb went off in Stevie’s head. “Hold on a sec. I want to get something before we go to breakfast.” Stevie led Eleanor back to the other room and pulled out a key to unlock the utility closet. She pulled out some luxurious, afghan-like black sweaters and held them up. “Which one do you like best?”

Eleanor marveled. “Whose sweaters…?”

“David’s. I’ve been storing them here for, like, two years. The agreement was I could borrow them whenever I wanted. Today, I want to.”

They both grinned deviously. Eleanor reached out to pet one. “Fuck, that’s soft.”

“Right?”

“I want to live in it.”

“I know.”

They each put a sweater on and headed out.

In the car, Stevie was silent. Eleanor knew they needed to talk, or, at least, she needed to say her piece. “I don’t really know what to say. But I feel like last night was good for you. I hope it was good for you.”

Stevie regarded Eleanor and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t need—“

“I know you’ve been curious about why I’m here. Why Chidi and I are here. We’re on a kind of… mission...” Stevie raised an eyebrow. “Uh, not what you think. Anyway. It’s hard to explain, and I’ve said too much already.” Eleanor swallowed hard and looked away. It was the first time Stevie thought she seemed unsure of herself. She took one hand off the wheel and placed it on Eleanor’s knee.

“Uhhh… it’s OK. You don’t have to tell me.” _I really don’t understand how_ that _was part of a mission._

“Chidi and I have to head out of town soon. But I wanted to thank you for spending time with me. The thing is, you’re amazing. The world is bigger than you’ve let yourself believe. You don’t need to limit yourself, babe.”

“ _Oh._ ” It was a surprising sentiment, and Stevie didn’t know what to say. She just kept a sidelong gaze trained on Eleanor for the rest of the drive.

Stevie took a moment to compose herself after they parked. She was tearing up a little, but she reached over to hug Eleanor before they got out of the car and walked into the cafe.

David was seated in a booth opposite Patrick, facing the door, looking smug as hell until he realized what they were wearing. “Oh, my god.” Patrick turned his head and stifled a laugh. “What the _fuck_ is going on?”

**Author's Note:**

> big thx to the rose apothecary slack folx for yr support xo


End file.
